Spring 2003 Advanced Environmental Geomatics

Case Study: Inventory and Assessment of Environmentally Significant Areas on the Cook-Douglass Campus
click here to view the class project pages.

Instructor: Prof. Richard Lathrop
Contact: lathrop@crssa.rutgers.edu

Class format: this class will be taught in a practicum format with an emphasis on student-driven learning through practical hands-on individual and group projects. Related to Cook College’s Campus Green Initiative, the goal of this year’s course is the identification and assessment of environmentally significant areas on the Cook-Douglass campus to promote the long term sustainability of biological diversity . A more concrete objective is to develop an inventory of potential wildlife habitats here on campus, characterize their significant features and assess the real and potential threats. To meet this objective, student teams will identify the issues to be studied, break into teams by issue, and produce inventory and analysis of each issue. The class will use various forms of information technology (e.g., geomatics and web technology) to develop and communicate the resulting study. The class will culminate in a web-based product and a public presentation of the results, potentially to a larger audience of students, faculty and staff.

Course Work/Grading:

Individual: Each student will be responsible for writing a short paper (~5 pages) and presenting an oral report tothe class on a subject related to habitat inventory methods for either ground data collection or landscape analysis.

Small group each team of 2-3 students will select 1 or more habitat sites and be responsible for developing a habitat inventory and assessment for that site that will include both a landscape analysis and field data collection/analysis (this will incorporate the results of the small group teams). The individual teams will then be responsible for undertaking the data collection, documenting the methods used, analyzing and writing up the results.

1) Habitat Inventory/Assessment that will include both a Landscape Analysis and Field Characterization for a Selected Candidate Site

2) GIS database for the site that will include appropriate attribute data (ground photos, field data, landscape analysis data).

Small teams will also be responsible for undertaking background research on past and present land uses of the Cook-Douglass college campus. Potential topics:

Historical land use of Cook Campus – NJAES, including old maps/photos

History of Helyar Woods, including 1980’s development plans

Land Use/development plan for Cook- Douglass campus

Management policy, who has decision making authority, including interviews

Small teams will also investigate landscape analysis techniques and make recommendations to the class on proposed methodology.

Large Group: the entire class will work together to synthesize the individual and small group projects into a coherent inventory and assessment of the Cook-Douglass campus that will include some policy recommendations for the long term sustainability of the biological diversity.

1) final GIS database of the inventory that will include appropriate attribute data (ground photos, field data, landscape analysis data)

2 Campus Habitat Inventory and Assessment

3) Risk Assessment report: Identify and characterize threats and risks to the long term sustainability of campus biodiversity

4) Final report in both hard-copy and web-based format

5) Public Presentation

6 Self-critique of your contributions to group project

Course Expectations: I expect that the class will undertake a rigorous investigation of the issues surrounding the conservation of wildlife habitat and other environmentally significant locations that will contribute to the larger Cook College Campus Green Initiative. As a tangible outcome of the course, I expect the class to produce a professional quality web-based report and public presentation. It is my hope that the class’s effort will have a real and tangible impact on land use planning here on Cook Campus.

I also expect that the students in the class will contribute not only to the course work, but also to the course itself. Specifically, students should participate actively in class discussions and decisions and provide guidance throughout the semester for the selection of speakers and topics.

Readings: The following is an initial list of readings with due dates.

1/27 USDA, Maintaining Farm and Forestland in Rapidly Growing Areas, Chapters 1,2

Yahner, Eastern Deciduous Forest, Chapters 1, 9

Collins and Anderson, Vegetation of New Jersey, Chapters 7-8

2/24 Steiner, The Living Landscape, Chapter 1

Lathrop and Bognar, Landscape and Urban Planning 1998 41:27-41

Yahner, Eastern Deciduous Forest, Chapters 6, 7

References

Adams, L. Urban Wildlife Habitats: A Landscape Perspective. U of Minnesota Press.

Davis, M. 1995. Eastern Old-growth Forests. Island Press.

Collins and Anderson , Vegetation of New Jersey, RU Press

Steiner, F. The Living Landscape,

Tedrow, J. 1986, Soils of New Jersey, Krieger Publishing.

Wolfe, P. 1977. The Geology and Landscapes of New Jersey, Crane Russak Publishing.

Yahner,R. 1995. Eastern Deciduous Forest: Ecology and Wildlife Conservation. U of Minnesota Press.

Tentative Schedule

Since the students are asked to help design the process and agenda for the semester, it is expected that THIS SCHEDULE WILL CHANGE.

January 22 Class logistics (registration), introduction of project, basic reading assignments, initial group assignments

Jan 27 Computer lab: site selection criteria

Jan 29 Computer lab: looking at imagery and maps to identify candidate sites

Feb 3 Computer lab: refine list of candidate sites & assessment criteria. Individual assignments

Feb 5 Field Trip: Helyar Woods. Meet in Log Cabin Parking Lot, 1:10PM.

Feb 10 Team reports on Cook-Douglass land use topics

Feb 12 In-Class Workshop: Field Data Collection Techniques (GPS, photos)

Feb 17 Individual reports on Habitat Inventory Project Topics: Methods

Feb 19 Individual reports on Habitat Inventory Project Topics: Methods

Feb 24 Discussion and Assignment of Topics Field Data Collection

Feb 26 Computer Lab: Landscape Analysis and Grid-based Modeling: Field Sampling Scheme

March 3 Computer Lab: Landscape Analysis and Grid-based Modeling: Terrain Analysis

Mar 5 Computer Lab: Landscape Analysis and Grid-based Modeling: Terrain Analysis

Mar 10 Computer Lab: Landscape Analysis and Grid-based Modeling: Terrain Analysis

Mar 12 Computer Lab: Landscape Analysis and Grid-based Modeling: Patch Analysis

Mar 17-19 Spring Break

Mar 22 Computer Lab: Landscape Analysis and Grid-based Modeling: Viewshed Analysis

Mar 26 Computer Lab: Landscape Analysis and Grid-based Modeling: Hydrological Modeling

Mar 31 Computer Lab: Landscape Analysis and Grid-based Modeling: Hydrological Modeling

Apr 2 Discuss Landscape Analysis Projects – Discuss progress and semester goals

Apr 7 In-Class Workshop/Team Work Day

Apr 9 Visiting lecturer

Apr 14 In-Class Team Work day

Apr 16 In-Class Team Work day

Apr 21 Team reports on Field Data Collection Project Topics: Results

Apr 23 In-Class Group Work day

Apr 28 In-Class Group Work day

Apr 30 Presentation Rehearsal

May 5 Final Presentation